Kenia

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Los efectos de El Niño aún no han terminado: 26 millones de niños en África necesitan ayuda

Noticias

África/14 de julio de 2016/Fuente: iagua

A pesar de que el fenómeno climático El Niño –activo durante 2015 y 2026- ha llegado a su fin, su impacto devastador sobre los niños está empeorando. Esto se debe a que el hambre, la desnutrición y las enfermedades continúan aumentando después de las graves sequías e inundaciones que ha generado este fenómeno, uno de los peores en la historia.

Son algunas de las conclusiones del informe de UNICEF «Aún no ha terminado: Las consecuencias de El Niño sobre la infancia«. La publicación alerta además de las grandes posibilidades de que La Niña –el fenómeno inverso de El Niño– comience su actividad en algún momento de este año, agravando aún más la dura crisis humanitaria que está afectando a millones de niños en algunas de las comunidades más vulnerables.

Los niños que viven en las zonas más afectadas ya están pasando hambre. En África oriental y meridional –las regiones que han sufrido las peores consecuencias de este fenómeno– unos 26,5 millones necesitan ayuda, incluidos más de 1 millón que necesitan tratamiento para la desnutrición aguda grave.

En África oriental y meridional unos 26,5 millones necesitan ayuda, incluidos más de 1 millón que necesitan tratamiento para la desnutrición aguda grave.

En muchos países, los recursos que ya eran escasos han llegado a su límite, y las familias afectadas han agotado sus mecanismos para superar la situación llegando a saltarse determinadas comidas o a vender sus activos. Si no se moviliza ayuda que incluya el envío urgente de suministros nutricionales para los niños pequeños, la situación podría socavar varias décadas de progreso en favor del desarrollo.

El Niño ha afectado también el acceso de poblaciones de numerosos países al agua potable y se ha relacionado con un aumento de enfermedades como el dengue, la diarrea y el cólera, que son las principales causas de mortalidad infantil. En América del Sur, y especialmente en Brasil, El Niño ha generado unas condiciones favorables para la reproducción del mosquito Aedes, que puede transmitir el virus del Zika, así como el dengue, la fiebre amarilla y la chikungunya. Si La Niña evoluciona, podría contribuir a la propagación del virus del Zika en zonas que no han sufrido sus efectos hasta la fecha.

Para UNICEF es también preocupante la posibilidad de que en África meridional, el epicentro mundial de la pandemia del SIDA, se produzca un aumento en la trasmisión del VIH como consecuencia de los efectos de El Niño. La falta de alimentos influye en el acceso a la terapia antirretroviral, ya que los pacientes tienden a no tomar el medicamento con el estómago vacío y, además, muchas personas prefieren utilizar sus limitados recursos para obtener alimentos en lugar de emplearlos en el transporte a un centro de salud. La sequía también puede forzar a las adolescentes y las mujeres a practicar relaciones sexuales transaccionales para sobrevivir. La mortalidad de los niños que viven con el VIH es de dos a seis veces mayor entre los niños que están gravemente desnutridos en comparación con aquellos que no lo están.

“Millones de niños y sus comunidades necesitan apoyo para poder sobrevivir. Necesitan ayuda para prepararse ante la eventualidad de que La Niña agrave la crisis humanitaria que confrontan. Y necesitan ayuda que les permita acelerar las medidas para la reducción del riesgo de desastres y la adaptación a los cambios climáticos que están causando fenómenos meteorológicos extremos más intensos y más frecuentes”, dijo la directora de programas de emergencia de UNICEF, Afshan Khan. “Los mismos niños que han sufrido los efectos de El Niño, y que están amenazados por La Niña, se encuentran en primera línea ante el cambio climático”.

Fuente: http://www.iagua.es/noticias/unicef/16/07/08/efectos-nino-aun-no-han-terminado-26-millones-ninos-africa-necesitan-ayuda

Imagen: http://img.rtve.es/i/?w=1180&i=1467944642773.jpg

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Kenia: Multi-pronged approach needed in dealing with unrest in schools

Noticias

Kenia / 13 de julio de 2016 / Por: DAVID ADUDA / Fuente: http://www.nation.co.ke/

Kenya’s education sector is once again reeling under a wave of student unrest in schools, characterised by massive destruction and loss of property.

Unlike in the past when students broke windows and a few other things, this time round they are burning buildings and property worth millions of shillings.

The wave of strikes underlines the concern that no permanent solution has been found to end violent strikes. There have been worse cases in the past like Kyanguli Secondary School in Machakos where 68 students were burnt to death in 2001 by riotous colleagues and the 1991 incident at St Kizito Mixed Secondary school in Meru where some 19 girls were burnt to death in their hostel. In both cases, the government was compelled to set up task forces to examine the root causes of the mayhem and recommend solutions.

However, the reports — Presidential Committee on Student Unrest and Indiscipline in Kenyan Secondary Schools and chaired by former Cabinet minister Lawrence Sagini (1991) and Taskforce on Student Discipline and Unrest (2001), headed by former Education Director Naomy Wangai (2001) — were hardly acted upon.

Then, as now, it was established that the riots were a consequence of ineffective administrative systems, unwieldy academic programmes, general indiscipline and external influences.

So far, the strikes have been recorded in several schools across the country, the worst at Itierio High School in Kisii County where students burnt seven hostels in an orgy of violence to protest supposedly high-handed administration that denied them a chance to watch a football match.

However, evidence has since emerged to demonstrate that was just a smokescreen. Underneath was a simmering rage arising from a combination of factors, among them drug abuse, inadequate facilities and poor management. Strikes are an aberration that must be dealt with.

RING LEADERS EXPELLED

Penalties for students are very clear. Ring leaders are expelled, others punished and the rest made to pay for the damages. To be sure, Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has categorically stated that the students will pay for the damage, turning the burden to parents.

For its part, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has interdicted principals, deputies and even teachers in some of the schools affected to allow for investigations into their role in the unrests.

Preliminary investigations in the cases, while faulting the students, have established that the principals, deputies and some teachers may have contributed through acts of commission or omission.

Further investigations are still ongoing to give conclusive findings. This is not possible if the officials are in office, which is the reason the employer had to act. It is duplicitous, therefore, for the unions, sponsors, boards of management and parents to contest actions against the officials.

Part of the problem with school administration is poor governance arising from poor selection and deployment of headteachers by TSC; lack of supervision by the ministry; weak boards of management and dysfunctional parents-teachers associations (PTA); and external interferences by politicians, sponsors and communities.

Arising from these, there are cases where schools are managed by ill-suited principals and deputies, as well as incompetent boards.

Some headteachers are let to stay in particular stations for decades, turning the institutions into personal property and resisting any change.

It is for this reason that the Naomy Wangai Report of 2001 recommended that no headteacher should stay in a school for more than five years, unless in very exceptional and special cases.

The point, therefore, is that a multi-pronged approach is needed in tackling the school strikes. Students who cause chaos in schools must be disciplined, but that does not mean exempting headteachers, teachers, management boards and sponsors who may be equally culpable.

Education officials at the county and district levels must also be brought to account when there are chaos in schools under their charge.

Fuente noticia: http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/Multi-pronged-approach-needed-in-dealing-with-unrest-in-schools/-/440808/3290390/-/nbxj3kz/-/index.html

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Kenia: TSC seeks medical cover provider for teachers

Noticias

Africa/Kenia/Julio de 2016/Daily Nation

Resumen: La Comisión de Administración de Maestros (TSC) ha invitado a los solicitantes de concesión para participar en una cobertura médica a más de 298.000 maestros, días después de extender el contrato de proveedor actual AON Kenia.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has invited applicants for provision of medical cover to more than 298,000 teachers, days after extending the contract for current provider AON Kenya.
TSC Chief executive officer Nancy Macharia said firms or groups interested in partnering with the commission have until July 20 to submit their applications.
“Bidders, they are advised to obtain the full information by either obtaining a complete hard copy tender document upon payment of a non-refundable fee of Sh1, 000 in cash or bankers cheque,” said Mrs Macharia.
Teachers will now continue to access medication under the Sh5.6 billion medical scheme.
At the moment, 233,000 teachers across the country are registered with the scheme with 423,457 dependents making a total of 657,367 members.
The extension was a relief to teachers as the one year contract was supposed to end on June 30 and they were worried about getting services in hospitals.
The commission said teachers will continue to get all the benefits as it plans for a new arrangement for medical cover.
All teachers lost their monthly medical allowances last year ranging from Sh767 to Sh4, 412 per month depending on job groups to finance the scheme.
Under the scheme, a teacher and four beneficiaries are entitled to an inpatient, outpatient, maternity and dental cover under the comprehensive medical cover.
The highest paid teacher enjoys a package of Sh1 million for inpatient and the lowest paid teacher gets Sh300, 000.
The teachers also enjoy optical, dental, maternity and group cover for funeral expenses among other services.
(Editing by Obed Simiyu)
Foto: Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia. A judge has extended a summons for the TSC boss and director of pensions to appear in court on Tuesday due to ongoing protests by lawyers against the killing of a colleague. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
http://www.nation.co.ke/image/view/-/3276506/highRes/1339928/-/maxw/600/-/6j5m5e/-/DNNancyMacharia2705t.jpg

Fuente: http://www.nation.co.ke/news/education/TSC-seeks-medical-cover-provider-for-teachers/-/2643604/3281624/-/q75oy9z/-/index.html

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Kenia: Union issues strike threat over non-payment of ECDE teachers

Noticias

Kenia / 06 de julio de 2016 / Por: ALEX NJERU / Fuente: http://www.nation.co.ke/

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has given Tharaka-Nithi County one month to pay Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers their seven months’ salary arrears or call for countywide demos.

Maara and Chuka/Igambangombe Knut branch secretary Njeru Mutani asked Education executive Kinyua Njoka to pay the teachers or wait to be ejected from office.

“ECDE teachers were employed seven months ago but have never received any salary and the county government has remained silent on this matter,” Mr Mutani complained.

He also accused the county of intimidating the ECDE teachers by threatening to sack those demanding for their pay.

Mr Mutani also added that the county has not built ECDE classes despite allocation of millions of money for the same in the last financial year.

But speaking to Nation on phone, Mr Njoka said the teachers will be paid their May and June salaries in the course of this month as the finance department processes arrears for the remaining four months.

He said the ECDE teachers have worked for six months and not seven as alleged by union officials.

“The finance department is working tirelessly to process the salary and money will be deposited into their accounts this month. The teachers received appointment letters in January and not December as alleged,” he said.

Teachers who spoke to Nation also expressed displeasure with the county government with some threatening to quit.

The teachers have been employed on a salary of Sh13, 000 per month.

Fuente noticia: http://www.nation.co.ke/counties/strike-education/-/1107872/3280956/-/ke9tq2z/-/index.html

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Kenya: Teachers to declare wealth as TSC launches tough laws

Noticias

África/Kenya/03 Julio 2016/Fuente:Allafrica /Autor: Simon Ndonga

Resumen: Los maestros de todo el país ahora tendrá que declarar sus bienes, de acuerdo con el Código Revisado de Profesores de Conducta y Ética puesto en marcha por la Comisión de Administración maestros. De acuerdo con el Servicio maestros presidente de la Comisión Lidia Nzomo, se espera que este movimiento para hacer frente a la corrupción y garantizar el vicio no afecta el aprendizaje

Nairobi — Teachers across the country will now have to declare their wealth, according to the revised Teachers Code of Conduct and Ethics launched by the Teachers Service Commission.

According to the Teachers Service Commission Chairperson Lydia Nzomo, this move is expected to tackle corruption and ensure the vice does not affect learning.

Speaking during a meeting with head teachers in Mombasa which entered its second day Tuesday, Nzomo further indicated that their accounts will further need to be audited as stipulated by the Constitution.

«The rolling out of this primary document is a major milestone for the Commission. The document is a critical tool in supporting the achievement of the goal of the Commission which is to improve the quality of education and protect the right of the Kenyan child within the learning environment,» she said.

Nzomo also stated that no teacher shall act as an agent of any political party or as a contestant and they are expected to account for every hour they spend in schools.

The rules stipulate that teachers must undergo open and rigorous appraisals to gauge and enforce productivity.

TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia emphasised that the new rules are aimed at promoting performance and provision of quality education in schools.

«The regulations provide the procedures for quality assessment of teachers, continued professional development and performance appraisals. It also talks about compliance with the rules which we shall be looking at as we implement them,» she said.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Chairman Mudzo NZili and Secretary General Secretary General Wilson Sossion indicated that they will only declare their position on the proposals following consultations with the union’s National Executive Council.

The two KNUT officials held a meeting with TSC officials at Mombasa Beach hotel before walking out after hours of deliberation.

The debate on the regulations is expected to feature during the five day meeting of Kenya Secondary School Heads Association in Mombasa which is being attended by more than 10,000 teachers.

Fuente de la noticia: http://allafrica.com/stories/201606210979.html

Fuente de la imagen: http://allafrica.com/download/pic/main/main/csiid/00340986:289665516b766687125adf015c066b6b:arc614x376:w285:us1.png

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Kenia: Kenya’s school arson attacks lead to national debate

Noticias

Africa/Kenia/Junio de 2016/BBC

RESUMEN: Esta semana, se han producido otros cuatro incendios en las escuelas, y los informes de los medios dicen que ha habido al menos 16 incidentes de fuego en las escuelas en el oeste de Kenia este año, sobre todo alrededor de Kisii.
Los kenianos han estado debatiendo el tema en los medios sociales y los programas de radio. Algunos sugieren que se trata de una cuestión de indisciplina, causada por la mala crianza de los hijos, y que el apaleamiento debe ser presentada de nuevo.
Kenya prohibió el castigo corporal en el año 2001. Los expertos y los políticos también están estudiando el problema para ofrecer sus propias soluciones.
Los periódico Estándar de Kenia informan que los funcionarios de educación han identificado varias razones detrás de los disturbios de la escuela.

Por: Dickens Olewe
School arson attacks carried out by students appear to have become a trend in Kenya, leaving people to speculate about the causes, although no-one seems to agree.
Last Saturday’s incident, when dormitories were burned down at a boarding school in western Kenya, was one of many this year.
But it caught people’s attention as it appeared to be the result of anger that students were not allowed to watch a live broadcast of a Euro 2016 football match.
Many thought that there must be a more profound reason.
This week alone, there have been four other school fires, and media reports say there have been at least 16 fire incidents in schools in western Kenya this year, mostly around Kisii.
Kenyans have been debating the issue on social media and radio talk shows.
Some suggest that this is a matter of indiscipline, caused by poor parenting, and that caning should be reintroduced.
Kenya banned corporal punishment in 2001.
The experts and politicians are also looking into the issue and offering their own solutions.
Kenya’s Standard newspaper reports that education officials have identified several reasons behind the school unrest.
These include:
• students panicking about expected stricter supervision in national exams
• poor school leadership
• the imposition of stricter rules
• drug abuse.
There was also the suggestion that some teachers may have been involved in the planning of the attacks.
Kenya’s Education Minister Fred Matiang’i joined the chorus of people blaming parents for the indiscipline.
He said they should take responsibility for «instilling the right values» and prevent students from taking antisocial behaviour into schools.
On a visit to the school affected on Saturday, Mr Matiang’i said the parents of those behind the arson should pay for the damage.
Deputy President William Ruto proposed his own solutions, calling for student mentoring and more prayers in schools.
Meanwhile, some local education officials have blamed politicians for not being good role models.
‘Bad teacher training’
John Mugo, head of education charity Twaweza, believes the problem lies with poorly prepared teachers.
He told the BBC that indiscipline was the result of the absence of guidance to teachers on how to manage students’ behaviour.
«The government banned caning in schools and has failed to introduce alternative ways of dealing with indiscipline,» he added.
He also thinks that the ministry of education, school management and students are not properly communicating with each other.
As if to underline how serious and difficult the problem is, on Monday, hours after the education minister visited a school to talk about arson there was a fire in one of its dormitories.
Generation gap
The Nation newspaper reported that school officials blamed an electrical fault rather than student action.
Fires were also reported at two other schools on Wednesday but the causes are yet to be established.
As Kenyans mull over who or what to blame for the worrying and frequent cases of school fires, a Facebook post which has been widely shared suggests that there is a yawning generation gap that will never be bridged.
«The average high school student does not know what [Minister] Matiang’i looks like, and they don’t care… They wouldn’t listen to authority from Nairobi even if it came with a fire-breathing dragon.»
Foto: Students set fire to school dormitories at Itierio Boys High School on Saturday night
http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/872/cpsprodpb/C74F/production/_90132015_arsonkenya2.jpg

Fuente: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36651683

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Africa: El rostro infantil de la pobreza

Noticias

TeleSur.TV/01 de julio de 2016/

África es la región que ofrece el «panorama más sombrío», según la Unicef.

Se estima que 69 millones de niños morirán por causas inevitables y unos 167 millones de vivirán en pobreza para el año 2030.

De acuerdo al documento Estado Mundial de la Infancia publicado por la Unicef este martes, para el año 2030 podrían morir 69 millones de niños por causas inevitables y otros 167 millones vivirán en la pobreza.

El informe revela que en 2030, fecha en que se vence el plazo de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible de Naciones Unidas, aquellos niños en situación de vulnerabilidad les espera «pobreza, analfabetismo y muerte prematura».

Futuro devastador

Los niños se ven afectados «desproporcionadamente» por los conflictos violentos, emergencias humanitarias y desastres naturales, así como por crisis sanitarias, destaca el estudio.

Además, estima que para ese año 750 millones de mujeres se habrán casado siendo aún niñas.

“Las vidas de millones de niños se ven arruinadas por la simple razón del país, la comunidad, el género o las circunstancias en las que nacen», lamentó el director ejecutivo de Unicef, Anthony Lake, quien además agregó que «antes de que respiren por primera vez, las opciones de vida de los niños pobres y excluidos a menudo se ven modeladas por las desigualdades».

El informe destaca, asimismo, que se ha avanzado considerablemente en la labor de salvar las vidas de los niños, reducir la pobreza y lograr que asistan a la escuela.

De esta forma se ha conseguido reducir la tasa de mortalidad de menores de cinco años desde 1990, que los niños y niñas asistan a la escuela primaria en igualdad en 129 países y que el número de personas que viven en la extrema pobreza se haya reducido a casi la mitad en comparación a la década de 1990.

Sin embargo, el progreso no ha sido “uniforme y justo”, según Unicef, debido a que los niños en mayor situación de pobreza tienen el doble de probabilidades de morir antes de los cinco años que los más ricos, así como de sufrir desnutrición crónica. En cuanto a las niñas provenientes de hogares más pobres tienen un 2 por ciento de probabilidades de casarse durante la infancia que otras niñas de estratos sociales más altos.

«A pesar de los avances en las últimas décadas, un gran número de niños se ha quedado atrás, por lo que tenemos que mantener este progreso, pero centrándonos en los más desfavorecidos», explicó el director de programas de Unicef, Ted Chaiban.

África con un “panorama más sombrío”

La región de África Subsahariana mantiene un panorama más desolador. Al menos 247 millones de niños, el equivalente a dos de cada tres, viven en pobreza multidimensional y sin los elementos necesarios para sobrevivir.

Los niños tienen hasta 10 veces más probabilidades de morir antes de los cinco años, y un total de nueve de cada 10 niños que viven en la pobreza en el mundo se encuentran en esta región.

Además, casi el 60 por ciento de los jóvenes de entre 20 y 24 años ha tenido menos de cuatro años de escolaridad.

La educación contra la desigualdad

La educación desempeña «un papel único para poner fin a los ciclos intergeneracionales de desigualdad». Sin embargo, desde 2011 Unicef ha denunciado que el número de niños que no asisten a la escuela ha aumentado, mientras que existe una proporción significativa de aquellos que sí van pero no logran aprender.

Otros datos reflejan que 124 millones de niños no acceden a la enseñanza primaria o secundaria, y casi 2 de cada 5 alumnos que terminan la escuela primaria no han aprendido a leer, escribir o hacer cálculos aritméticos simples.

Para el 2030, según las estimaciones de Unicef habrá más de 60 millones de niños fuera de la escuela.

Invertir en el futuro de las sociedades

El informe expone que si se invierte en aquellos niños que viven en las situaciones más vulnerables, se podrían producir beneficios inmediatos y a largo plazo.

En promedio cada año adicional de educación que recibe un niño aumenta sus ganancias cuando sea adulto en un 10 por ciento. Por cada año de estudio aprobado, la tasa de pobreza de un país caerá en un 9 por ciento.

Tomado de: http://www.telesurtv.net/telesuragenda/El-rostro-infantil-de-la-pobreza-20160628-0032.html

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